Smile
by AwkwardHumanBeanThing
Summary: As a mother, all Sally really wants from her boy is for him to be happy. And the best way to communicate that is through a simple smile.


Sally loves Percy with all her heart. He is her pride and joy, light in the dark, her lifeline.

Sally was broken when Poseidon left. She knew it was for the best, knew that he had to abandon her and their son in order to protect them, but it didn't make it hurt any less. She spent days weeping and wailing. She truly did love Poseidon, and to have him leave her was devastating. She felt as though her heart had been shattered and it would never be able to be put back together again. Yet when saw Percy, sweet, innocent, infant Percy, smiling up at her from his crib, swaddled in blankets, she knew that she would be just fine.

xxx

Percy was always attracted to trouble, it was like watching a moth flutter forth towards a flame. As a young boy, he was prone to getting himself into trouble or doing rather stupid stunts. Sally remembers one such instance vividly. The two had gone to a local park nearby their apartment, complete with a swing set, slides, and monkey bars. Percy had excitedly run out to play, promising that he would be safe, while Sally set up a little picnic for the two. Just as she finished setting up, she heard her son call out for her.

"Mommy, watch this!"

He was on the swings. And he was swinging higher and higher, and the structure was making an awful rickety sound with each swing, and Sally was just about to shout at Percy to stop, when at the peak of an arc, he leapt off the seat.

And Sally's heart stopped as she watched her son launch into the air, his limbs flailing. And she seemed to watch him in slow motion, falling down, down, down towards the earth. Yet her body stayed rooted to her spot. Then finally, he reached the ground, and Sally took off running. Her mind was buzzing, questions darting to and fro, yet only one thought was constant.

Was her son okay?

And after what seemed to be ages of running, she reached him, and she engulfed him in her arms.

 _Breathe. Just Breathe. He's alright. He's breathing._

She realized in her worry, she never saw him make the landing. All she could see was her son falling, at the mercy of gravity, while she stood helpless. And she had half the heart to scold him, to tell him to never, _ever_ do something as careless as that again, but when she finally parted enough to get a good look at him, she hesitated. His eyes were wide and slightly confused, yet overfilling with joy and pride. And his smile, Sally swore that all of his childlike innocence and wonder was packed into that one expression.

It was almost worth the heart attack (she still chided him, but he perked up when she told him lunch was ready).

xxx

Sally knew that marrying Gabe would have its downsides. Before they were engaged, she began to see nasty sides to him. He would get too drunk on week nights, shout too loud at the TV, get too angry over a simple mistake, but Sally knew it was for the greater good.

The worst part of it all though, was when her mind felt vulnerable, and she began to question herself. Was she just being too picky? Was she subconsciously comparing him to Poseidon? After being with a literal god, all other partners paled in comparison. Or maybe there was someone else. Maybe Sally could find another person with an odor so vehement it could mask the scent of her son. Perhaps they would have a decent heart, be kind and caring, someone Sally could make a true connection with.

Thoughts of maybes and what ifs bombarded her as she sat at the dining table, alone. Maybe a divorce was the better way to go. Gabe had hurt her, was _still_ hurting her, and Sally knew that it was unacceptable. She knew that it wasn't right, that she didn't deserve any of it, but above all she didn't want to expose Percy to that type of life.

And then she peeked into the living room. And she saw Percy sitting on the floor, smiling as he played with his Legos. He waved the characters around rapidly, making sound effects with his noise, simulating a hero rescuing the day from the evil villain.

At that moment, sitting there in the dining room, watching her son play with Legos, reveling in childhood, Sally knew she would do whatever it took to keep that boy safe. And if that meant putting up with a pig of a man, then she would do it. So long as Percy was safe, she would do it. She would sacrifice herself, her life, everything she had, for him, anything just to keep him smiling. But gods above, should Gabe lay a finger on that boy, do something, anything, to harm him, she would unleash the wrath of hell upon him and he would _never_ get the chance to even _look_ at her precious Percy again.

xxx

When the time finally came for Percy to leave for Camp Half Blood, Sally cried on the floor for days.

The first time she dropped him off, she never had the chance to say good-bye. The adrenaline coursing through their veins would only allow them to focus on survival, and Sally only caught a glimpse of that heartbreak when he was allowed through the camp's protective barriers and she was not.

It wasn't like she had time to fixate on leaving her son that first time though. After an instant, she had been captured, and after that her only thoughts were to survive; to keep living for Percy because she just knew Percy wouldn't be able to be the same, carefree Percy if she were to simply perish.

But then he rescued her, and they were reunited and it was the purest feeling of joy that Sally has ever come to know.

After a while though, Percy had to go back to camp. She knew it was for the best, whatever it took to protect her boy. And if separating was the best way to keep him safe and happy, then that's what they'll do. And so, they held one another, standing in front of the camp. She didn't care if he was eager to go see his friends or not, she was going to savor these last few moments with him.

But eventually he parted from her. And he smiled at her one last time before he passed through the boundaries and officially into Camp Half Blood territory. That's when it hit her, that Percy had changed. All of a sudden, the shy boy who would cling to her leg, too afraid to dive into the sea of children that crowded in front of school on the first day, was gone. Now he was partaking on his own adventures, adventures that Sally could never be a part of.

She cried for days on end. She knew it was better that he was there, it was better where people were there to protect him and keep him in line, but that still meant he had to be taken away from her side. And it hurt like hell for Percy, who had always been by her side, to be stripped away. But it was okay, because she knew that wherever he was, he was smiling.

xxx

Sally loved Annabeth when she first laid eyes on her.

Call it mothers' instincts.

But especially after meeting the young lady and seeing how her son would interact with the girl was rather entertaining. She was a girl who could keep Percy and all of his rowdy tendencies in line. And anyone who could accomplish that feat deserved her respect (and a couple extra cookies).

When Sally first expressed that she was fond of the young girl, and it seemed that Percy was too, he choked.

"I like that girl, Annabeth. You know-"

"Yeah she's cool. But she can be kinda annoying."

"Percy, don't speak with your mouth full, and don't interrupt! I was just going to say that you seem to like her quite a bit too." Sally finished with a sly sort of smile, waiting in anticipation for her son's response.

He just gagged on his cookie. He was _not_ prepared for that comment, and Sally loved the fact that she had caught him off guard. Then of course, her motherly ways took over as she rushed over and performed the Heimlich maneuver.

They had not lived through so much – a lost love, a reckless youth, a horrible husband, a heart-breaking goodbye – just so he could die choking on a cookie.

She was only certain that it was love when she saw them interact once again, but later in their lives. She knew because of that stupid smile he had plastered on his face. Anything to do with Annabeth, talking about her, talking _with_ her, he would brighten and his smile would grow to twice its normal size.

So even if they hadn't figured it out yet, she hoped that they would soon. Anything to keep that smile going.

xxx

Percy offered no heads up for when he returned from his first disappearance, but when he did, he just showed up in her doorway and smiled.

"Hey, Mom. Sorry I didn't write."

Sally cried and smacked him for being an idiot. What kind of son had she raised that after eight months of absence, (he could have been _dead_ for gods' sakes), just knocks on her door and greets her casually? She couldn't even begin to process that her son was here, in front of her, all in one piece.

She regained her composure (not really, she just wiped her eyes with her sleeves), grabbed her son by his shirt and yanked him across the threshold and into her arms. As she stood, arms wrapped tightly around Percy so as to ensure he wouldn't slip through her grasp again, she acknowledged just how much he had grown. But despite that extra height, he draped his arms around her and nuzzled into her neck, just as he had when he was a child and Sally would pick him up.

She could feel that he was smiling.

She cried on the floor with him for a majority of that day, whether it was from relief, happiness, or the release of all the sadness she had pent up inside she didn't know. When Paul stumbled upon the two, she looked up at him with the brightest smile she had in a while (he recounted to her later that night that she reminded him of a little girl) and he joined them.

And Sally felt happy and whole, wrapped in the arms of the two men she loved most in the world, her little family, and she smiled this time. And she knew that when she smiled, Percy would be smiling just as brightly.

xxx

Sally, Paul, Annabeth and Percy had been scheduled for a gathering to share dinner together and act like a normal family for once. Sally had proclaimed that it was a great idea, and was eager to set a date, yet her motherly instincts were yet again tingling. When Percy had called, Sally had practically _heard_ his smile through the phone, and although Percy was a naturally energetic and optimistic boy, this was something else entirely. But Sally lay her suspicions aside, it couldn't be anything bad if her son sounded so happy.

All was explained when Sally had been hugging Annabeth hello and had barely even looked at her son (she had only just opened the door, she knew Percy was attention starved but he could wait a moment) when Percy proclaimed at the top of his lungs "ANNABETH AND I ARE ENGAGED."

And immediately Sally shoved Annabeth just far back enough that she could see her face. Annabeth only smiled and held up her left hand, which was decorated with a simple, yet elegant opal ring. Sally then proceeded to shriek out of glee and jerked Annabeth back into her arms. After feeling satisfied with the hug, she proceeded to throw her arms around Percy, and nearly knocked him over.

"Finally!" She had exclaimed into his chest (at this point she didn't even reach his shoulder, but as long as she could still give the best mama bear hugs in the world, it didn't matter).

Over dinner, homemade pasta (Sally ordered Paul to cook it while she gossiped with Annabeth), Sally had asked, without any real tact, "How long will it be until I get some grandchildren?" The young couple had just blushed and stuttered, and it was like they were teenagers again.

But their smiles never faltered that night. Ever since they were in the hallway and announced their engagement, to when Annabeth chided him for being so loud, to the onslaught of questions and hours of talk of seemingly nothing, their smiles never faded. And Sally felt rather comforted by the fact that now someone was there to smile with him.

xxx

Sally did eventually get those grandchildren, and she absolutely adored them.

Their first born, Elainne, is a lovely young girl. She's sweet and cautious, and a tad bit shy, but Sally swears she'll break her out of her shell. She has curly brown hair that reminds Sally of an alternate version of Goldie Locks, but her eyes are such a light green that they refract the light and if Sally looks from a certain angle, she swears she sees a rainbow. The girl is also protective of her younger sibling, Melanie, who is already starting to act like her father. With slightly darker hair and brighter eyes, she enjoys to venture out and rummage through everything she can find.

But their smiles are something else. Their smiles remind Sally of Percy's. And that's more than she could have ever hoped for.

xxx

She loves him so very, very much. So, as she lay in the dreadfully white hospital room - her cinnamon hair, long turned ashen, framing her face which is permanently imprinted with the many wrinkles he had given her – with shaking hands and wavering voice, she jokes about how the room needs a splash of blue, just to make him smile. Because that's all she really wants for him.

For him to smile.

And she succeeds a little. It's watery and a bit sad, yes, but it's still as bright as ever.

And she feels accomplished with her duties as a mother.

And when her hand grows limp in his, and her cloudy eyes are glazed over, she can hear him shouting and wailing for a nurse, for anybody to help, but it sounds like he's masked behind Poseidon's waves. She knows it will be a while until he smiles again. Sally is aware that this good bye is a bit more final than the rest, and that he will wallow and weep and grieve. But with the help of everyone he surrounds himself with, she knows he will be okay.

That he will smile again.

And with that she slips into the light with a grin on her face.

XXXX

Okay, so I know I just published a story today (go check it out by the way, it's not horrible – I don't think so at least) but I couldn't help it. I saw this old prompt I made on word today, and I couldn't just ignore it. So it took me a while, but I fixed her up, and here she is. Please don't hate me. I'm gonna go, it's getting pretty late where I am, but thanks so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!

-AwkwardHumanBeanThing


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